


Howl

by Cavet



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 00:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5519330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cavet/pseuds/Cavet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little Monster AU fic, where our darling Will is a werewolf with a shitty past and a nose for emotions, and Hannibal is a vampire who hates the current century.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, Dapperwerewolf! I have to say, I was pretty excited to get your prompt, because I pretty much love everything you do, and so I was super excited to write this! I'll post a chapter a day, and I hope I don't let you down.

Hannibal didn’t like clubs. 

That being said, it wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the many aspects that a club consisted of. He enjoyed music, he enjoyed alcohol, he enjoyed people, watching their bodies twist and throb and be alive. But in a club? No. 

The club currently in question, the one Alana had insisted on dragging him to, because ‘come on hannibal, it’ll be fun, no one will try to spike your drink this time! Plus, there’s none of the other folk’, was far too loud, crowded, and bright. Needless to say, he had relented, a decision he now regretted. 

So far, it had not been fun, but no one had attempted to talk to him, and there were no humans in this club, not even severely intoxicated ones who had stumbled in by mistake, a fact that he appreciated. 

He leaned back against the bar and raised a finger at the bartender behind him, who’s bright yellow eyes flicked over him briefly before they nodded and set down the glass they were holding. Hannibal resumed staring out at the dance floor in front of him, watching the many bodies undulating in front of him. Sweat pouring off skin, blood rushing under it. 

Delicious. 

He could see Alana, dancing with a group of females he didn’t recognize. All severely intoxicated, judging from how they were swaying and screaming. As he watched, one of them pitched forward and vomited, splashing all over the other girls’ shoes. A man walking by had to jump back to avoid being splattered, and ended up being a crutch for the sick girl. He held her awkwardly by one arm as she threw up, staring at the scene in front of him with a horrified look on his face. When the girl finally straightened, he made as if to hurry off, but was stopped as she hooked an arm around his shoulders and slowly dragged her finger down his face. 

Hannibal smirked and turned away, the image of the man’s face, pulled back by disgust, captured in his mind. The bartender slid his drink across the counter to him, it’s deep, blood-red color barely visible underneath all the flashing lights. He didn’t pick it up immediately, instead watching the liquid inside vibrate along to the rhythm of the music. He finally picked it up and took a measured sip of it just as Alana appeared next to him, falling ungracefully against the bar in her drunken state. 

“Hannibal, did you see that shit? Angela just puked all over my shoes, I can’t believe it. There’s probably little bits of dirt and roots and shit stuck on it now?” She leaned her head on his shoulder and blew out a long breath. He felt one of her fangs prick against him when she tiled her mouth onto him, and he nudged her off. As much as he enjoyed Alan’s company, they weren’t close enough to be feeding off each other. An idea he found quite disgusting, truthfully. Blood was always best when not already in another vampire. 

“Well, that’s what you get for dancing with a-” Hannibal twisted around and squinted at the girl, who still had the poor man trapped in her embrace and was now rubbing her hand through his hair while he stared blankly over her shoulder, “a fairy. Don’t get drunk with anyone who eats something you’re not comfortable with.” 

“Well, to be honest with you, I’d still be pretty grossed if you threw up on me, even though we eat pretty much the same things,” Alana argued, leaning back against the counter to smile lazily at him. Hannibal took another sip of his drink. 

“Yes, but the difference there is that I won’t vomit on you, or anywhere at all. Have you had enough of dancing with strangers?” 

She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re no fun, you know? Did you even go and dance at all?” 

He shook his head. “This is not “my scene”, as you would call it. I should think you would have realized that by now.” 

“God, Hannibal, this isn’t the eighteenth century anymore. People don’t have big fancy balls or whatever anymore. You need to learn to adapt to circumstances.” She lifted an eyebrow at him. 

“I thought that was the reason you brought me out tonight, was it not? To have a little fun? Besides, I think I adapt quite well, not that I enjoy it or anything.” He cast a distasteful look at the tight t-shirt and jeans Alana had insisted on him wearing. At least he still had the body of himself when he was turned, as a 20-year-old, and hadn’t showed signs of aging despite his almost 200 hundred years of longevity. 

“Yeah, and that turned out so well,” she shook her head. “Yeah, fine, I don’t have enough blood stocked up to pull me out of a major hangover, anyway. Which reminds me, what are you drinking?” She reached across him, clumsily grabbing his drink and taking a large mouthful of it. She made a face as she swallowed. 

“What the hell is that?” She stared at the glass, repulsed, and then took another sip. She shuddered as it went down. 

“My usual, with whatever this bartender’s twist is. This is why I hate going to so many different clubs. Everyone’s drinks are slightly different.” Hannibal sneered. Alana finished his drink and slammed the glass on the counter, cracking the bottom of it. 

“I thought you hated clubs because of the music. Or was it the lights? And the idiots, you hate the drunken idiots, and the stupid dance moves, and the shitty music, and the smell of sweat…” Alana rambled on as he steered her away from the door and through the crowd. He navigated them slowly, trying to avoid anyone who looked severely intoxicated. This is much easier when he could smell a drunk person a mile away, and not when the whole room smells like a drunk. 

They managed to make it to the doors, forcing it open against the harsh winds and stumbling out onto the icy street. Alana leaned against a lamppost while Hannibal hailed a cab, watching him with an inferior look on her face. It was only when they were both settled in the cab that he turned to her. 

“What?” 

She smirked. “You need to hook up with somebody. A little sex does people worlds of good, especially when they haven’t gone at it for the past two hundred years or so.” Hannibal snorted. 

“It has not been two hundred years. And I’m not looking for any kind of relationship, even if it does only stand for one night,” he finished haughtily. 

Alana leaned back and stared out the window. “Yeah, yeah,” she muttered thoughtfully. “You hate me, I know.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, on the second but technically first day of Christmas, your Santa gave to you, 
> 
> A scared Will Graham and severe anxiety. 
> 
> Merry Christmas, dapperwerewolf!

Will didn’t have to look up at the sound of someone coming up the stairs. He would be able to identify Bev a mile away. She had a very distinct scent about her, the same, smoky scent that came with having black eyes, but also something else. Something… softer. Sweeter. Not that he’d ever tell her that, of course. Honestly, he just focused on the fact that it was an improvement that he didn’t look up when she opened the door, even though he knew it was her. Two months ago, he would have been ready to tear out her throat when she came through the door, whether he knew who it was or not. 

Her scent amplified as she stepped through the door, long hair swinging around her shoulders as she shrugged off her coat. 

“It is hell out there, Graham. Do you hear me? Hell. I’m not leaving this apartment again until it’s at least 80 degrees out there. Celsius!” She threw herself down on the couch next to him, ignoring his grunt of protest when she plucked his book out of his hands. 

“I thought hell was hot,” he muttered. “Wouldn’t 80 degrees Celsius be more hell like?” 

Bev flipped a page. “Depends on where you are. Are you seriously reading a book on mushrooms? That is a new low, even for you.” Will leaned over and grabbed his book back, ruffling through the pages until he found the one he had been on. He pushed his glasses up his nose and settled down more comfortably again. 

“Some mushrooms can have calming effects on humans.” 

Bev snorted. “Are you looking for mushrooms to get you high?” 

He nodded absently. “Basically, yes, but I don’t think they would be compatible with me.” Bev snorted and stood up, cuffing the side of his head with her arm as she walked away. She paused at the doorway and leaned back toward him. 

“That’s good, because I wouldn’t let you have ‘em, anyway. You’re not allowed to use that shit. You’re doing fine.” 

Will sniffed. “Yeah, how about you tell that to me last night, when you found me? Or better yet, you, last night, when you found me?” 

Bev frowned. She had managed to drag Will out of the apartment for what seemed like the first time in a blue moon, even though it really wasn’t, and where had she chosen to take him? A club. Her friend had texted her and invited her to some club, and of course, Will just had to go. 

He had been fine in the beginning, hanging out along the walls, staring at his feet, trying to avoid looking at the lights. The usual. Then, just as he had been trying to head outside to get some fresh air, some girl has puked right in front of him and decided that he was her hero because he made sure she didn’t fall into it. 

It ended with Bev finding them in the women’s bathroom, the girl straddling Will, trapping him against the wall, and Will choking on his breaths, his hands clenched so tightly that his fingernails cut into his skin. 

“Look, I’m sorry about that, alright? I never meant for that to happen, I swear,” Bev said softly. Will nodded, but didn’t look up from his book. He heard Bev leave the room, but it wasn’t until he heard the tinny rattle of the music starting up in her headphones that he set his book down. 

He could hear the kid in the apartment below them jerking off, the elderly couple to the right of them sitting quietly together, one knitting, the other moving something that made a soft scratching noise against a wooden table. Probably a puzzle. Out on the street, he could hear the briefest bits of conversation in vehicles as they drove by, the mailman opening the door to the lobby. He could hear the sizzling of something cooking on a grill and sucked in a deep breath, relaxing and closing his eyes when there was only the overwhelming smell of peppermint and Bev to choke on. Candles fucked with his senses to no end, but as long as he had at least 3 burning at all times, then he didn’t have to smell what was going on inside people. He could still smell them on the outside, sure, but the inside was a mess of scents that just gave away too much. 

He preferred the cheap scent of mint from the store around the corner. 

The club last night had been hell on him. That’s probably why he hadn’t just pushed away from the girl in the first place, why he had left his spot on the wall to go outside in the first place. All those scents, all those chemicals, the different feelings, and thoughts, and the alcohol, and the sweat, the food, blood, the dirt…

He tightened his fingers in the couch and took a deep breath. 

The girl's purse was sitting on the ground right next to the door, exactly where he had dropped when they had gotten home last night. It had been looped around his neck and tucked under his shirt, small enough that he didn't notice it until he was already halfway home. Bev ended up having to sprint the rest of the way after him. 

He... She... That purse should really go back to her. 

It's fine. He was fine.


	3. Chapter 3

Will stared at the house in front of him, eyes narrowed slightly against the cold wind. Well, it was probably more like a mansion or a castle, he supposed. It towered over him and Bev, at least 5 stories that he could see. Pointed arches sloped along the top off it, the shingles setting off the dark brickwork of the walls. Black shutters outside every window, each of them shut tightly. 

“Do you just want me to do it? Alana is my friend, after all. You can just wait here,” Bev offered. Will clutched the tiny purse with white knuckles, and stared at the long gravel driveway in front of him. Not trusting himself to speak for fear of the noise that would come out, he merely shook his head, and Bev sighed. 

“Alright, let’s get this done with.” 

Their feet crunched up the driveway, the sound echoing strangely around the silent estate. There weren’t even any cars parked near the house, or flowers growing outside. Absolutely nothing to show that anybody actually lived there. They got to the door far too soon. 

Bev raised her hand, curled into a fist, and rapped three times. She stepped back, nearly bumping into Will, who stumbled back with a stuttered apology. She opened her mouth to respond, probably to say something comforting, to tell him it was fine, like she always did, like she said when he woke her up with his screams, or broke a plate because he couldn’t keep his hands still, or-

The door opened. Just a sliver, just enough to reveal a slice of someone’s face. A brown eye squinted at them, squinted at the shadows the sun was casting from the house. Will breathed in deeply through his mouth, forcing himself to not use his nose at all. 

“Yes? What do you want?” 

Will raised the purse. The eye flicked to it, an action that took barely half a second, but Will lost his focus as he watched it. Air flooded into his nostrils, an immediately overwhelming sensation as it burned across all of his senses at once. 

Rain splattering the pavement around the body of a girl, her blood mixing with the water and drifting away with the pain and fear that ran through her. 

Door after door being slammed, and hurt slowly turning to anger after each one. 

An outstretched hand, the first outstretched hand in so long, offering comfort for someone who didn’t deserve it. Anger turning to confusion, and then to love. 

Something bit his arm suddenly, and Will resurfaced with a gasp, forcing himself back into the real world. The house loomed suddenly in front of him, all dark shadows and severe angles rushing into his vision. 

Bev grabbed the purse from him and held it up. “I’m a friend of Alana’s, and one of her friends left this at the club last night. We just figured we’d bring it back to the girl.” She shot a glare at Will, and he shifted uncomfortably. Bev had wanted to toss the purse down the garbage chute, or light it on fire. 

“Listen to me, okay?” She had said. “Anyone who takes advantage of someone else like she did to you doesn’t deserve to have this back. She isn’t worth the trouble.” But Will had insisted that she was just drunk, and that he had probably led her on, and that it didn’t feel right not giving her purse back to her. Bev had relented. 

The door opened slightly farther, revealing a kid with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She tossed her head back in a come in gesture, and spun around, disappearing into the darkness of the hallway. 

“‘Lana!” she called. There was a distant reply, and she reappeared again. 

“She’s on her way down.” The girl crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, staring at them in a way that made Will want to either rip her throat out or hightail it back to the apartment, he was never sure. 

The sound of footsteps clattering down steps floated out to them, followed by the sound of what he recognized as Bev’s friend, Alana’s, voice. 

“What’s up, are you okay?” The girl twisted around. 

“Yeah, I’m good, there’s just a werewolf and a demon here to see you!” 

Alana appeared moments later, popping out from a doorway to the left. She grinned when she saw Bev. 

“Bev! What’s up?" Her smile faded slightly. "Why is Will here?” 

“Your friend left her purse with Will last night. The one who puked.” Bev answered sharply. Alana looked confused for a moment, until Will added, “We figured she was a vampire, since she was with you. We just wanted to make sure it got back to her.” 

Alana shook her head. “Oh, no. She’s a fairy. I can get it back to her, though, thanks. I’ll tell her you brought it.” 

The very air in Will’s chest seemed to freeze. 

“You don’t have to do that- just, just tell her you found it or something, it’s fine, there’s no need to mention us.” He stammered. Alana’s eyebrows creased. 

“What? Um-” 

Another person slid out of the darkness behind Alana suddenly, his hand ghosting along her shoulder as he moved to stand beside her. 

“Alana, you didn’t mention we had guests. Perhaps introductions are in order?” He offered, glancing at Will. He spoke oddly, smoothly, with an accent that Will didn’t recognize. From what he could make out of the man, he was attractive, with high, sharp cheekbones and neat hair. Will forced in a deep breath through his mouth, reminding himself not to smell. He didn’t need this newcomer’s problems, as well. 

“My friend Bev, and her friend, Will,” Alana replied. “Guys, this is Hannibal.” Hannibal nodded at them. Bev raised her hand in greeting, while Will just stared blankly at him. Finally, Bev cleared her throat and tossed the purse to Alana. Alana fumbled slightly as she caught it, only for Hannibal to smoothly grab it from her fingers. She shot him a grateful look. 

“Thanks. Yeah, I’ll be sure to get it back to her, and, um, not tell her it was you? See you around, Bev.” 

As the two were walking home again, Bev muttered, “Hannibal is a weird name.” 

Will nodded. “Weird name for a weird guy. I suppose it comes with being a vampire.”


	4. Chapter 4

Hannibal lingered in the entryway even after the door closed, staring at the spot where Alana’s two friends had been standing moments ago. He could still smell them, ever so faintly, the ashy blood of Bev, the demon. And the thicker, wilder scent of blood from the other, Will, a scent he was unfamiliar with. It hung heavy and thick in his nostrils, a tantalizing taste of wild blood that would certainly drive him insane if he had even a lick of it. 

Alana flipped the purse over in her hands and frowned. “I don’t even know where the fairies live anymore, do you?” She murmured thoughtfully. “The only time I ever see that girl is when we’re both at the club.” 

Hannibal shook his head and took another deep inhale, but the scent of non-vampire blood was fading fast. “I believe they’ve relocated to the other side of town, just beyond the library. There’s a park near there that I know several of them enjoyed. It would make sense for them to move there, since their forest was overrun.” 

“I’ll check it out tonight,” Alana said with a shrug. “To be honest, I’m not all that bothered with getting her her purse back.” 

“I wonder why this Will was so worked up over it?” Hannibal cast Alana a look over his shoulder as he turned back into the living room. She followed him through and up the stairs before answering. 

“Will’s kind of.. different.” 

“Different in what way?” Hannibal opened the door to his room and stood aside for Alana to pass him. She sat down gracefully on his bed and smoothed his bedcovers, not that they were untidy. 

“I don’t know, exactly. I’ve never actually met him before this, but Bev’s told me about him a few times.” 

Hannibal moved across the room to his desk, where he shuffled papers idly, mainly to keep his hands moving. “And what has she told you about him?” 

Alana shrugged. “I don’t know, he had a real shitty life before moving in with Bev, I guess, and he doesn’t like going out a lot. What do you care, anyway?” Her face suddenly broke into a devilish grin. “He’s caught your interest, hasn’t he? I’ve been with you for over a hundred years, Hannibal, I know you. You’re curious.” 

Hannibal shrugged and brushed his papers into a neat pile, making room for a blank sheet in the middle of the desk. “He’s not a human. I’m just curious about what he is. His blood smells different, didn’t you notice?” 

“‘Course I did, Hannibal. But that doesn’t make him special, really. His whole species probably smells like that.” 

“As you’ve just said, Alana, we’ve been around a long while. I’ve never tasted blood like his, and I’m certain his flesh is also just as unique.” 

 

Later, after Alana had left Hannibal to the quiet of his room to adventure out into town, Hannibal found his thoughts straying to the mysterious Will again. Not that they had traveled very far from him, of course, but he had made attempts. 

He got up from his desk, moving a picture depicting a large stag aside, and listened. No creaks of the floorboards, no quiet mutters of conversation. As much as it was nice to live in a group of other vampires, it did also make for quite a lack of privacy. They were all out, though, now. Probably wouldn’t be back till morning. 

He stretched as he walked down the stairs, cracking joints and shaking any stiffness out of his muscles. As he had hoped, the house was indeed empty of anyone else. 

His first stop was the kitchen, the fridge, to be exact. There were the bottles of blood lined up, each one neatly labeled with the name of its owner. Disregarding the ones with his own name on them, Hannibal grabbed a random one and sniffed the contents inside. Almost immediately he recoiled. 

Dragon blood, most likely very old. He questioned the taste of some of the others he shared the house with. 

He put it back the exact way he had found it, nudging it slightly so that the label was turned ever so slightly away from the front. He proceeded to check every other bottle in the fridge, even going through his own, looking for any of them that could contain blood like Will’s. Naturally, he was disappointed by what the other vampires provided for him. 

His next stop was to the library in the attic, where books were stacked from floor to ceiling, the many collections of those who lived here. He ghosted his hands along their spines as he searched, eventually finding a thick encyclopedia depicting the many species of their world. He slid to the ground and opened it gently across his lap, ever so mindful of the yellowing pages and the cracked spine. No respect for books, some people. 

Page after page, he searched, reading through the descriptions written, paying particular attention to any that had been written by vampires. None described such a scent of blood, although apparently some faes were known to have blood that could turn to dirt and smelled of grass. 

He eventually shut the book and slid it back into its place. It was pointless, he thought, as he stared out of the sole window in the attic. The moon was only about half full, waxing to its full size. To find out about Will, the only option would be to talk to Will. 

A smile touched his lips. He was looking forward to it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry! I did not mean to vanish like that for however long I was gone. I'm not much of one for excuses, but basically, my computer broke down, classes started again, and I decided to make my already packed schedule even more crazy. So, yeah, that happened. I may not be able to get chapters up as frequently, but I'll still be updating. No worries.

Will was facing away from the window, head tilted down ever so slightly as he focused on something in his lap. Occasionally he would shift, as though uncomfortable, or run a hand through his already mussed hair and look around. 

Even though it wasn’t much in the way of entertainment, Hannibal was entranced. 

His eyes soaked up every detail, no matter how small. The way Will’s loose shirt hung off his shoulders, how the light reflected off of his hair when he turned the right way, and especially how the muscles in his back would ripple when he rubbed his neck. 

Hannibal was across the street, just out of Will’s line of sight if he were to turn around and look at the street below him. Hannibal had managed to find a prime location between two buildings, where the light from a lamppost fell at just the right angle to create a long shadow he could disguise himself in. 

As he watched, Will looked up and spoke, words that Hannibal couldn’t make out from his lips. Bev had appeared in the corner of the room, her shoulder and part of her face visible through the window. She said something back to Will, and then vanished once more. Will settled down more comfortably and resumed looking down. Reading, probably, judging from the way his right arm shifted back and forth occasionally. 

It had been shockingly easy to find where they shared an apartment together. All Hannibal had had to do was follow Alana the next time she had gone to the club. He had trailed behind her, always staying at least a block behind her so that even her superior senses couldn’t pick him up. He always could have just gone with her, but that would have brought questions and raised eyebrows and eventually that gloating, know-it-all smirk when she figured out why he wanted to go to the club, because, for one, Hannibal didn’t like clubs, and two, Alana always figures it out. Always. 

So, he had trailed behind her, and sure enough, Bev met Alana outside the door. The two greeted each other with a hug and went inside, while Hannibal leaned against a car and waited. 

Several hours later, when the two emerged, clutching each other and giggly, Hannibal opted to follow Bev home instead of Alana back to their own home. 

She had led him down a complicated route, down alleys and twisting neighborhoods until they finally reached a small apartment complex on the opposite side of town. It was quiet area, that much was apparent. Their apartment was across the street from a bookstore and an art studio, between which Hannibal was currently standing. 

He could practically see Will exiting the house in the warm glow of day, pausing at the curb and taking a moment to soak in the sun before crossing to the bookstore. He’d open the door gently, trying not to make the bell ring too loudly so as to call attention to himself, and when it did ring, despite his best efforts, he’d duck his head and shuffle into the shop. He’d browse the shelves for hours on end, pulling book after book down and flipping through the pages, only to replace them moments later and move on. 

Hannibal could also see himself beside Will, offering his opinions on certain titles or recommending his own favorites, most of which Will had never even heard of. And then, after a while of this, they’d fade into companionable silence, dissolving into the pages of whatever book they chose. 

And always there, in this little fantasy, was the underlying scent of Will’s blood. It was constantly there as they browsed, a friendly reminder that Will was there and just as wonderful as always. 

Will got up from his chair and stretched, a bit of skin on his back revealed as his shirt lifted. The faint edges of a scar were just visible above his waistband, and Hannibal was fascinated by it, just like he was with everything else about Will. Will yawned and set down the book he had been holding, and carefully folded his glasses and set them down on top of it. He walked out of the room and the light flicked off, leaving Hannibal staring at a dark window. 

One day.


	6. Chapter 6

He’s being watched. 

He knows it the way he knows where the scars are on his body, he knows it like he knows how he got those scars. 

Will knows he’s being watched. 

It started over a week ago. EVery night, when he would sit in his chair next to the window, the one he hates for its positioning but loves for its comfort, it would crawl up his neck. The slightest of shivers, only so barely touching his spine and unnerving him. 

He had always turned around and looked whenever he felt it, in the beginning, but there was always nothing. There was always only the familiar street, darkened with nightfall, littered with garbage and the occasional passerby. He never watched for long though, because he knew, even if he couldn’t see them, they could see him. 

This had gone on for a week. 

Bev knew something was wrong, she must know. Bev always seems to figure out when something’s bothering him, no matter how hard he works to keep himself calm. She doesn’t ask though, and for that he’s grateful. If he did tell her he thought, no, knew, he was being watched, she’d just look at him with those dark eyes and frown, cross her arms, and suggest that he’s just tired or not eating enough or not sleeping enough or-

He hasn’t slept very well the past three days. 

Will sits in his usual seat, the seat where he first felt the shiver, with his eyes closed and just breathes. Tonight, he has a plan. Tonight, instead of holding a book in his hands, he grips his phone, fingers twitching nervously over its smooth plastic. 

He glances up briefly, meeting the eyes of his reflection in the mirror hung on the wall opposite him. He had taken it from the bathroom earlier this evening, right after the door had closed behind Bev and her footsteps echoed down the hallway. Positioning it correctly on the wall and then getting it to stay in that position had been somewhat challenging, but altogether worth it. 

When he got up from his chair tonight and crossed the room to turn off the light, he would pause in the doorway of the kitchen, just out of sight. The angle of the mirror would provide a perfect view of outside the window, while he, and the mirror, would be invisible to anyone watching through the window. 

His leg twitched. 

He hadn’t been burning nearly as many candles as he usually would have, finding that the scents he usually allowed to smother him and clog his senses were more suffocating and bothersome than helpful. His senses strained in all directions, tearing at him and ripping him apart in a way that hadn’t happened for a long time, not since he had come to live with Bev. 

His senses strained as they did before a fight, yearning and screaming for him to kill, kill, kill. He wanted to bite, to scratch, the tear out the throat of his bigger opponent and scream, throwing back his head and letting out a guttural howl, hearing that howl echoed on all sides of him in triumph, a roar that echoed and pulsed against his eardrums in a cavernous symphony. Warm blood dripped down his throat and chin, coated his mouth and teeth. His opponent lay still and quiet beneath him, a mere remnant of the great beast he had once been, a beast that had no chance against Will’s own strength-

Will opened his eyes. It was time. 

Forcing himself to move slowly, calmly, he got up from his chair and stretched as e usually would, pulling his arms over his head and popping his back. Three steps, two steps, one step, and the light was off. He moved into the doorway of the kitchen and immediately whirled around, eyes glaring at the mirror. 

The familiar street. A trash can lying on its side. A stray cat rubbing against the edge of the building. 

There was no one. 

___________________________

 

“What do you mean, you think you’re being watched?” 

Bev’s hands paused over the skillet she held, eggs still sizzling away inside it as she turned to look at Will. He leaned against the doorframe and shifted uncomfortably, putting his hands in his pockets, then behind his back, and finally crossing them in front of his chest. 

“I know how strange that sounds, believe me,” he starts. Bev points the spatula at him. 

“Okay, so have you seen this stalker?” 

Will shakes his head and sighs, and the lines around Bev’s mouth tighten. 

“No, but just give me a second, please? I- I just, when I sit in the chair by the window every night, I just feel it, you know? Like when you can literally feel someone’s eyes on you,” He says. Bev turns back to the eggs. 

“How long has it been since you’ve actually slept through the night? Like, full night, deep sleep, Graham, none of your tossing-turning shit.” 

Will groans, but responds nonetheless. “Four days, but it’s not like that, okay?” 

Bev cocks an eyebrow and stabs at the eggs. “Like what, exactly?” 

“Like, like, you know, Bev!” Will says desperately. Bev sets down the spatula and turns to face him. 

“Like you waking up screaming, like you attacking me if I came through a door without saying it was me, like you twitching and scratching and barely breathing and goddammit Graham!” She pauses, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I worry about you, okay? And it really gets to me when I see you avoiding eating or flinch every time I walk near you, because we were making progress, weren’t we? Please, Will, just tell me if you need help, I don’t want you to go backwards.” 

Will scrubs at his eyes, the need to scream burrowing down and boiling up in his throat at the same time. 

“It’s not- It’s not like that, I swear. I’m not- It’s not- Damn it, Bev, I don’t know what it is, I just know I feel like I’m being watched all the time and it’s making everything worse!” He spits. Bev opens her mouth, but Will cuts her off. “I can feel someone watching me, I know they are, but I can’t see them, and it’s driving me insane! I even tried to catch them at it last night, but there was no one there, okay?” 

It’s silent for a long, heavy moment, as they each stare each other. Then Bev nods. 

“Okay. We can double team them, then.” She turns back to the eggs and casually dishes out two plates of them. 

Will’s brain seems to stutter, and he uncrosses his arms. “What?” 

“You heard me,” She presses a plate into his hand and a fork into the other. “Tonight, you’ll sit there like you always do, and I’ll be outside. You’ll text me when you think someone is staring at the back of your ugly head, and I’ll pop out and nab the bastard.” 

Will frowns, mulling over what she just said. Then he shakes his head. 

“I can’t ask you to do that. They’re probably dangerous, Bev.” 

“Well, I offered,” She takes a bite of her eggs and chews, grinning at him. “C’mon, let me have a little fun.” 

“Don’t confront them?” Will pleads. “Just, just take a picture of them. So I know that there is somebody. Please?” 

Bev nods. “Yeah, I can exercise some serious espionage. Only if you do something for me, though.” 

That takes Will aback. He already does a majority of the chores around the apartment, considering he’s there pretty much all the time, so he has no idea what she could possibly want from him. He raises an eyebrow, and she grins devilishly. 

“Eat the damn eggs, Graham.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yeah
> 
> school just completely kicked my ass
> 
> I'll hopefully update more often now
> 
> sorry

He looked delicious. 

That was the only way Hannibal could put it, horribly enough. 

He was in what had now become his "usual spot", watching the back of Will's head through the window. He was wearing a more revealing shirt than his usual one, a plain white cotton rag that stretched just the right amount over his back and revealed a strip of skin between his neck and his hairline. When he had first approached the chair to sit down, Hannibal could actually see his arms, from his thin, twitchy hands all the way up to his toned biceps. 

It took a great deal of self control to keep himself standing there. 

It would have been so, so easy to just walk across the street and go up to their door. Will would have had to come and answer it, and Hannibal would have been near him, near enough to see the freckles on his skin and every fleck of color in his eyes. 

God, it would have been so easy, especially considering his roommate, Bev, had left earlier in the evening, strutting out of the door confidently in what she clearly thought qualified as an outfit suitable for a night out. From what Hannibal had figured out from watching them, Bev probably wouldn't return until at least midnight. 

It would have been so easy. 

He could have actually talked to Will again, gotten to inhale his tantalizing scent as they spoke. Perhaps, they could have even become well acquainted enough for him to be invited in, a chance to study Will further- 

"You bastard, get away from him!" 

Hannibal lurched as what felt like a small dumbbell exploded off the back of his head, knocking him forward onto his knees. He whipped around and grabbed the wrist of his attacker before they could swing again. 

"You freak!" Bev spat in his face. "Will was right all along, someone has been watching him!" She struggled against him, and he let go, allowing her to take a few steps back and ready her handbag for another swing. 

Hannibal held up his hands as he rose, eyes tracing Bev as he did so. She must have managed to sneak up on him, somehow. An impressive feat, even if it did annoy him that someone had been able to do so. He had been too focused on Will, clearly, to realize what his senses were telling him. That was the only explanation he would accept. 

Bev wound up again once he was fully standing, but didn't swing. Instead, she stood there, just watching him. 

"You have about 2 seconds to tell me why you're stalking my best friend before I beat your brains out, and I'm only giving you that leeway because you're a friend of Alana's, right? You were at the club that one night, and then I saw you again when we dropped off that purse." 

Hannibal allowed himself a moment more of silence, composing his thoughts, before he replied. 

"I was not planning to attack him, if that is what you previously feared. I mean Will no harm." 

"Not good enough," Bev hissed. "Why are you stalking him? Only the truth." 

She was protective of Will. Clearly, very protective. Not something that blossoms out of your ordinary roommate relationship, nor out of just a typical friendship. She must have been used to worrying about Will, trying to protect him. 

"Something happened to him," Hannibal said slowly. Bev narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing, which he took as a pass to continue. 

"When you both came to our house, I noticed it. He seemed very out of sorts, to say the least. Nervous, almost timid, around other people. It could have been just introversion, but I suspected otherwise. I'm very good at telling when people need help, Beverly. I was merely trying to figure out the same for Will." 

"Then you come and talk to him, you perv!" Bev swung at him again and he tensed against it, allowing her to hit him. "Or to me, if you're that worried! You don't sit out here in the street like some stalker, which I guess you are!" 

Hannibal gestured behind him, to where he knew Will would have still been sitting, oblivious to the scene unfolding behind him. "Will is incredibly guarded. Any attempt on my behalf to speak with him directly would have failed. And I'm afraid I lacked the knowledge that you two were so close. I am sorry, for scaring you both like this, but I assure that you my intentions were pure." 

Bev glared at him. "Okay, so he's a little messed up, what do you care?" 

"I have experience with many of the rougher folk of this world. I know what they can do to someone. I was hoping that a certain group that I was previously associated with had not been the one to affect Will."

"And what if they had been?" 

"Then I would have tracked them down and ripped their throats out, because when we departed, each member had promised to abandon their doings forever." 

Bev crossed her arms and leaned against the building with a huff. "I can't believe this all has to do with another gang thing," She muttered. "You don't have to worry, it wasn't vamps, so it probably wasn't your group, unless your into the whole interspecies clan thing?" She shot a glance at him. 

"No, my group was all of the same species I am. I am relieved to hear that it was not them that affected, Will." 

"Good. Now you can stop stalking him, right? Leave him alone. Leave both of us alone, got it?" 

Hannibal nodded. "If that is what the both of you wish, then yes, I will do so." 

"It is what I wish," Bev spat. "Get out of my sight."


	8. Chapter 8

"Will, Will, wake up!"

His eyes snapped open suddenly to see Bev hovering over him, hair askew, hands held up in front of her.

9 days had passed since they had executed their little scheme, nine days since he had sat in chair and Bev had come back with a bottle of whiskey, slamming down their shot glasses on the table and already on her second on by the time Will reached her. Any questions on his part were answered only with mutterings about how "That damned nose of yours is too accurate for my liking sometimes, Graham." Later when she was a bit more intoxicated, Will managed to get a few more answers out of her. 

Yes, there had been someone watching him. 

Yes, she had taken care of it, despite what Will had told her. 

No, they weren't going to come back, and if they did, they wouldn't get another chance. 

Despite her slurred assurances, Will wasn't coping well with it. 

"Will?" Bev asked quietly. It seemed to take several moments for his brain to actually process what he was seeing, figure out that it was Bev in front of him, that he had been sleeping, that it was all a dream and wasn't real, but it was real because it happened and he could remember it and the smell of blood was filling his nostrils and claws were shredding his back and the crowd was cheering around him and he couldn't breathe-

He lurched out of the bed and stumbled past Bev, who jumped out of his way. She followed him down the hall, leaning against the doorframe in the bathroom as he dropped down in front of the toilet and dry heaved. She waited till he was done before filling up a glass of water for him and lighting the small candle he kept near the sink. Will took the glass and sank back against the wall, letting the suffocating smell of the ocean drown out the scent of Bev's worry and his own thoughts. 

She slid down next to him silently, just sitting there with him. She didn't say anything, didn't move to touch him at all, something for which Will was grateful. He could still feel his skin being shredded, and didn't want her soft touch to get mixed in with all that. 

When she finally did speak, it was in response to him opening his mouth and letting out a long sigh. 

"What can I do to help you, Will?" 

Will didn't answer at first, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling. Then, "There was someone watching me." 

Bev nodded. "But he's gone. And he hasn't come back, you know that. He isn't going to come back." 

"Yeah," he muttered. "I get that, but it's the idea, Bev, and it wasn't even just an idea. Someone was watching me again, observing me, like I'm entertainment..." His words trailed off, and Bev sighed. 

"I don't know what to do." 

"Neither do I," Will shrugged and pushed himself up, one hand firmly planted on the wall as he made his way back to the bedroom. Bev was sitting in the living room when he came back out, dressed and pulling a jacket on. Her eyes widened slightly. 

"Going somewhere?" 

He nodded, not bothering with any sort of answer, and just left. When he glanced back up at their apartment from the street below, the curtains shifted slightly and he set off at a brisk walk. 

No real destination in mind, he simply wandered around on the outskirts of town, turning sharply in an opposite direction whenever he caught a scent of someone. An hour later found him on the edges of what looked like a decent-sized woods. Sorely tempted by the utter solitude i offered, he shoved through the shrubbery protecting it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone who reads, comments, and leaves kudos, thank you all so much. You're all so understanding and supportive despite my complete lack of time to write, and I am so thankful to all of you. 
> 
> I haven't edited this chapter, because I just wanted to get something up for all of you. I promise I'll check it over tomorrow.

Hannibal lazily opened his eyes at the sound of banging, echoing up from downstairs through the old wooden house. He flicked his eyes slightly, considered leaving to see who had actually bothered to stop by, then disregarded the idea completely and closed his eyes again. 

He was in front of the window in the attic, the one that, in his own opinion, at least, had the best view of the surrounding land. It was the only place he could truly appreciate the rolling hills, bright with green grass, and dark trees along the edge of the forest that seemed to glow in warm daylight. The sloped roof outside prevented any sunlight from actually entering the room, making it the perfect place to experience the day when it was difficult for one to do so. 

The banging continued, however. His eyes snapped open and he glanced over his shoulder at the floor, as if he could see through the floors and to the front door. When the banging began again for the third time, he finally climbed down the stairs and shut the attic door behind him. As he passed through the hallways, he saw why he seemed to be the only one majorly affected by the horrifically vexing noise. Any room he passed that he could see inside had a figure sprawled somewhere inside, in various states of dressedness and comfort. A long night of indulgence last night was, then. 

He paused in the front hallway and waited. The banging had ceased at some point on his way downstairs, and a trip down without any real purpose would honestly just be a waste and annoy him for the rest of the day. His lip curled into a sneer at it remained quiet, and he turned to head back upstairs. 

"For fuck's sake, Alana, I will kick down this door!" 

He froze. Alana's friend, Beverly. Will's roommate, Bev. Threatening to knock down his door. 

Of all the people. 

He leaned his head against the wall, pondering. Would the correct course of action to be find Alana and wake, in whatever state and wherever she may be? Hannibal might have had a tendency to disregard others, but he had had those nights of indulgence. Resigning himself, he pushed away from the wall and went to open the door. 

Bev nearly barreled him over as he cracked it open, but stopped so quickly she nearly fell over once she saw it was him. Her eyes immediately narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. Trying to establish dominance and appear threatening to him, make it known to him that her threat still stood. 

"Where's Alana?" She asked stiffly. He gestured at the staircase behind him. 

"Somewhere up there, presumably, though in what state, I cannot say. I do believe last night was quite exciting." 

Bev glared at him for a long moment, then sighed. She closed her eyes and slowly opened them again. 

"God forbid I ask you this, of all people, but has Will been here?" 

Hannibal paused. She was looking for Will. Missing? What if something had happened to him? Whatever had happened to him, in his past, what if that had come back for him? He could almost feel his shoulders tightening and forced himself to stare at a spot somewhere over Bev's shoulder. 

"I'm afraid I've not seen Will since my... inappropriate behavior. I have kept to what you instructed me." 

Sadly, the truth, in this case. As much as he may have wanted to, Hannibal had resisted the urge to find himself outside of their apartment at night, watching Will's shoulders rise and fall with every breath and imagining the things the two of them could do together, with all his cunning and Will's power. 

Bev seemed to relax, ever so slightly. "Good, I expect that to continue." 

They both stood quietly. Neither seemed to know where the conversation was supposed to go from there, or how to get it anywhere else. Finally, Hannibal spoke again. 

"Forgive my curiosity, but has something happened to Will?" 

Bev's mouth twisted before she answered him. 

"He went out a while ago, and I can't find him." 

"Ah," Hannibal considered this. "Is this something incredibly worrying? I should think that he would be able to handle himself somewhat decently, without your assistance." 

"Normally, no, but he wasn't doing so great before, okay? I really should head back out again and keep looking, if you're sure he wasn't here." She shot him a look, but Hannibal shook his head. As Bev moved, to open the door, Hannibal caught her sleeve and she froze. 

"If you'd like, tonight, when the other members of this house have recovered and it's dark, we could help you in your search? If you've not found him by then, that is." 

Bev paused, mulling it over. Then she nodded. 

"Some more searching eyes might be helpful. I don't want you," She pointed at him and thumped her finger against his chest, "anywhere near him, though. Swing by our place tonight and I'll let you know what the plan is." She made to move out the door, but then paused again. "And if it's just you that shows up, I will not hesitate to kick your ass to the curb, got it?" 

Hannibal nodded, and the door closed behind her with a click. He found himself standing still, staring at it. 

Will had left, at some point in the.. near past? Bev hadn't mentioned how long ago it had actually been since she had seen him, but judging by her amount of concern, it had to have been a decent amount of time that had passed. Of course, she could also just be so concerned because he apparently hadn't been doing well before his disappearance, but for her to be desperate enough to actually search for him here, where he had only been once? No, he had to have been missing for quite some time, now. 

No time to waste, then. 

*

That night, surrounded by the other vampires of the house, Hannibal found himself finally going back to Will's apartment. They were a rowdy crowd, bustling and laughing, calling to each other in obnoxious tones that he sneered. None of them had seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation, except perhaps Alana, no matter how many times he had explained it to them. 

He had gone around all afternoon, dragging them out of whatever corner, crevice, or closet there was and waking them up. Many of them were unhappy to be woken up after just having such a wild night, but a few promises of drinks, or gambling money, or whatever it was they craved had them willing to do what Hannibal asked. Alana, of course, had become very concerned as soon as he told her what had happened, and went around helping Hannibal gather help. Now she was leading the group, as she assumed she was the only one who knew where Will's apartment. 

As they neared, he could make out Bev's figure standing in front of it, arms crossed. They gathered around her and she scanned the group until she found Hannibal. He raised his eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes. 

"Right, so you guys probably all know what's going on, right? My friend Will is missing. He left for a walk two days ago and I haven't seen him since." 

2 days, Will had been missing. 2 days before Bev had thought to go to the Vampire House. 

"-so I really do want to find him. There's really no spots that he's very fond of, but he doesn't like crowds, and he gets overstimulated and overwhelmed pretty easily, so he's probably nowhere crowded, loud, smelly, or bright. Just a thought to consider as you look. Find him, you call me right away, got it? Cool, go nuts." 

The crowd dispersed, shifting away like water as they trickled away in different directions. Hannibal went off at a steady trot down the sidewalk, hands tucked into his pockets. 

If he was Will, where would he go? 

Overstimulation and fear would drive him away from the city, especially if he was already panicked when he left. That would leave the suburbs surrounding the city, the rural, countryside area where Hannibal lived, and a wooded area that bordered the countryside. 

Hannibal turned to the woods and moved quicker than before, certain that this was where Will had to be.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm sorry that I don't update often and that I don't edit very well. Thank you all for your kind comments, they really are lovely.

Will wasn’t sure how long he had been walking. Or where he was, for that matter. 

When he had left his and Bev’s apartment, it had been day, or it had been day at some point that he had been walking. Certainly the sun had been up at some point that he was out, because he could feel the slight ache of sunburn on his arms, just up to where his sleeves were rolled at his elbows. 

He had been walking, and it was day, but now it was night. 

At least, he thought it was night. It could have just been early in the morning, but he was certain that it was not morning quite yet. 

He allowed his feet to keep drifting as his mind wandered, sliding through the underbrush, breaking twigs and pushing dead leaves aside as he moved. Trees expanded around him in every direction, dark, looming shapes that shadows seemed to flit behind just as he turned to look at them. His fingers brushed their bark as he passed them, the rough sound of his skin meeting the wood drowned out by the symphony of the forest. 

Distantly, a part of his brain screamed at him, screamed of terror and fear, and that something was very, very wrong. It seemed insignificant, though, like a gnat that could be brushed aside and immediately forgotten. A rather bothersome gnat, to say the least. He took a deep breath and attempted to ignore it again, to lock it in the recesses of his mind, but it only screamed louder at him when he closed his eyes and stilled. Hands braced against two trees at his sides, he leaned forward and squinted at the ground in front of him. 

Something…

Something was wrong?

Something was very wrong. 

He straightened and, leaning against the tree to his right, looked into the expanse of woods surrounding him. His footsteps leading to where he was were obscured by the foliage and bushes he had walked through, disguising the path he had taken to get here. 

Will’s mouth opened ever so slightly, a sharp breath escaping his lips. When had he even left the apartment? The nightmare that had driven him out seemed so faint, so distant in the past now. His eyes traced the wooded area again, and his breaths became faster. 

He was clearly lost, and judging by the overwhelming dryness of his mouth, lightheadedness, and burning legs, had been for quite sometime. The chances of Bev, if she were even looking for him, were very slim. As much as Bev did care about Will and did her best to support him, he knew that he could be too much. If she were wise, she would have simply taken advantage of his disappearance and not bothered with him anymore. 

Will slid down to the ground, legs splayed out in front of him, laying his face in his palms. God, he had fucked everything this time. If he could just get his goddamn head on straight, he found himself thinking savagely, then none of this would have happened. He wouldn’t be lost, Bev wouldn’t have to looking after him like he was a fucking child, he could go outside without freaking out- 

His head shot up suddenly and he stilled, all thoughts forgotten. Ever so slightly, he tilted his head towards the south, sniffing the air that a light breeze carried toward him. It pulsed in his sinuses, the taste of blood, expensive cologne, old fabric, and cold, dead flesh skimming across the back of his throat as he breathed in. 

Vampire. 

Slowly, so as to not disturb the foliage littering the ground, Will got to his feet. No Vampire had appeared in his sight. They may not have even been coming towards him. Still, if they proved to be friendly, they could help Will, but more likely than not, a lone Vampire would see Will as prey more than partner. 

He shivered, tasting the air again. The scent was stronger now, thicker, mingling with undertones of adrenaline. The vampire was excited, clearly, and coming closer to Will. 

Hunting him?

The bark of the tree scraped his back as he pressed against it, hands scrabbling on either side for something, a small branch, perhaps, that he could throw. A stick cracked in this distance and the air in his lungs froze, his heart a dead weight in his chest. Leaves crackled and hissed as footsteps glided over them, measured and precise. Will squeezed the trunk behind him for support, eyes desperately searching in the darkness for the stranger approaching him. His heart beat a wild tempo in his chest, blood roaring in his ears, and he felt his nails digging into the bark behind him, strong and sharp-

“William Graham?”

A figure slid out of the darkness from behind a trunk, monstrous in the moonlight. As they passed in front of a fallen tree on its side, the branches sticking up in the air aligned perfectly with their head, creating a sort of crown of antlers around them, growing and twisting in the moonlight. 

Will blinked and shook his head. He frowned, shook his head again, and released the tree behind him, and stood up straight. The other man was right in front of him now, watching him curiously. 

“Are you alright?” 

Will nodded and opened his mouth to speak, only to have no words come out. He licked his lips and tried again. 

“A bit lost, but apart from that, I think I’m good.” 

He found himself staring at the other’s feet, avoiding the eyes he was sure were still tracing over him. 

“Well, I can certainly help with the lost part. Your friend Beverly contacted a friend of mine, ALana, and arranged for us to form a search party for you. You’ve caused quite the fuss, I must say. Bev must care for you dearly.” 

There was something lingering in the man’s tone, a hint of anger under his last statement. Will did his best to ignore it, too tired to ponder what such things from a stranger might mean. 

“A, um, search party? That’s very kind of Bev, yeah, and you to help.” Will’s voice drifted off slowly. “Why would she organize a search party? I go out all the time and am perfectly fine.” He felt the need to defend himself somehow, to this stranger, this Vampire that found him wandering in the woods. It was not like he got lost every time he left the apartment. 

He could hear the smirk in the man’s voice as he replied. “I’m certain. However, some reason for alarm can be found when one goes on a walk and has not returned after two days have passed, wouldn’t you say?” 

For the first time, Will looked up, meeting his eyes. Brown eyes met eyes, deep and steady, almost reassuring. He glanced away. 

“I presume you didn’t know how long you had been gone, then,” the man offered. Will nodded, staring over his right shoulder. 

“I see no reason for us to wait any longer, then. You certainly must be hungry, and thirsty. Shall we? There’s only about a two hours walk to the road.” 

A sigh escaped Will’s mouth as he straightened and pushed himself away from the tree, propelling himself forward. He set off at a steady trot, the other close behind him. 

“My name is Hannibal Lecter, by the way, should you have been wondering.” The other man said. Will nodded, but didn’t move to shake his hand or even look in his direction. 

“Clearly you already know me,” Will muttered. Hannibal chuckled. 

“I know your name, if that is what you are implying. The rest of you, however, still remains largely unknown.” 

Will was silent for a time following that, listening to their footsteps in unison as they walked. 

“I suppose it’s a good thing that we have a long walk, then, Hannibal.”


End file.
